I'll do my best to keep warm, but these next few days might be difficult. It doesn't look like it's getting as cold at night as they are warning though, I haven't seen any temps in the teens at all. That oakleaf Hydrangea has lovely foliage, the kind that colors up really dark. I'm amazed you found a flower.

The ducks rushing toward you suggest there are those how feed them regularly. I admit: if I had a slice of bread in my pocket I might have been tempted to share it...I love the leathery look of oak leaf hydrangea. I have one called Pee Wee that had grown quite huge; I don't have the heart to prune it.

Sign or not, I'd have been hard-pressed to ignore those duck entreaties if I had some crackers in my pocket (not that that's a common occurrence). My brother and his girlfriend take oatmeal (organic, no less) with them on walks and "their" ducks recognize them on sight and come running or, er, waddling.

Roses in winter--that would be wonderful! It's always encouraging to see new growth from the soil. My Hellebores always start budding in November, but then are covered with leaves and snow until March. It's nifty to see the first Daffodils poking through, too. Winter is rough, yes indeed.

About Me

Why Outlaw Gardener? I like to break the rules of good taste, plant placement, and plant hardiness. Also, I have received periodic "love notes" from the city code enforcement officer telling me that my parking strip plants encroach on the city's right-of-way. When expressing my distress over the latest such notice, I exclaimed to my pal Loree (Danger Garden) "I'm an outlaw gardener!" To which she replied,"That would be a good name for a blog."
My first gardens were in Southeast Alaska (zone 3.)I do miss the beauty and community of small-town Alaska but I don't take for granted for a moment how wonderful it is to garden in zone 8.